CROCK POT HAM: HOW TO SLOW COOK YOUR HOLIDAY HAM {WITH VIDEO!}

Crock Pot Ham is my favorite holiday ham recipe! Just 4 ingredients and can be made in the crockpot or Instant Pot. Brown sugar and pineapple provide a sweet, tangy flavor to the ham. Quick & easy slow cooker ham recipe that takes just minutes to prepare and yields tender, flavorful and juicy ham.

Crock Pot Ham is my go-to recipe for when I’m preparing a holiday ham. Cooking for the holidays doesn’t have to be labor intensive and time consuming! This ham recipe takes just a few minutes to prepare, and then you can be on to fixing the next dish.

I first tried this recipe several years ago on Christmas. I was taking a bit of a risk- I mean, the holiday dinner could have gone very wrong, however it was a complete success! Since then I plan on cooking all hams in the crock pot as it frees up the oven and produces a deliciously juicy ham. I use the word “cooking” but really, any ham you buy in the grocery store is pre-cooked, so all you really need to do is warm it up. However warming up a 10-lb piece of meat without drying it out is easier said than done. Hence the crock pot method- it’s the perfect environment for tender, juicy ham.

I recently made this recipe in the Instant Pot and WOW- if you have an Instant Pot, you’ve got to try it! It made the juiciest ham ever and took a grand total of 40 minutes. Yep! That’s it. I love my Instant Pot!

How to make slow cooker ham

Making a ham in the slow cooker is super simple! When you purchase ham from the grocery store it’s actually already cooked, so really, what you’re doing in the slow cooker is heating it up and infusing some flavor. My slow cooker ham recipe is just 4 ingredients. I like to use boneless ham simply because they’re incredibly easy to slice and serve. Remove the ham from the packaging and make sure it fits in your crock pot. If it doesn’t, you can cut it into portions until it does. Open the can of sliced pineapple and pour the juice into a 2 cup measuring cup. Arrange the pineapple slices either on top of the ham, in between ham slices, if you’ve opted to pre-slice it, or both.

Measure out the ground cloves and brown sugar into the 2 cup measuring cup and whisk until it’s incorporated into the pineapple juice. Pour the mixture on top of the ham.

Cooking time will vary depending on how large your ham is and if it has a bone in it. If you have a small 2-4 lb ham, you’ll only need to cook it on low for 2 hours. I used a 7-lb portion of my 10-lb boneless ham and I cooked it for 4 hours. Bone-in hams will need 5-6 hours to fully heat up.

Remove ham from the slow cooker and serve immediately. I love drizzling the juice on top once it’s on the serving platter!

How to Make the Best Crock Pot Ham

I like to pre-slice my ham so that I can put pineapple in between slices. It’s easier to cut a boneless ham, but use what you like!

Growing up we always cooked ham with whole cloves. However, since ham is already cooked and we’re just aiming to heat and infuse flavor, I find that using ground cloves does this better.

Save the juice once you’re done cooking the ham and drizzle it over the top, once you place the ham in a serving dish.

Candied cherries are just fun! Plus they make this holiday ham look gorgeous, so I love using them.

Crock Pot Ham recipe ingredients

Here’s what you need to make my recipe for Slow Cooker Ham

2-7 lb ham, boneless or bone-in

1 20-oz can sliced pineapple

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cloves

How to Cook a Ham in a Crock Pot

Place ham in the crock pot. Ham from grocery stores is pre-cooked, so if your ham doesn’t fit, simply cut a portion off and refrigerate it or freeze it for later use.

Open the can of sliced pineapple and drain the juice out into a separate bowl. You will use all of the juice! Measure out your 1/3 cup of brown sugar and add it to the pineapple juice, whisking to dissolve. Add in the 1/2 tsp of ground cloves and whisk to combine.

Arrange the slices of pineapple all over the surface of your ham and in between slices. Place candied cherries inside the pineapple. Pour the pineapple juice mixture on top.

Replace the lid on the crock pot and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. I had about 7-lbs of my 10lb ham in the crock pot and I cooked mine for 4 hours. It was super moist and had a lovely sweet flavor. Bone-In hams will take 5-6 hours to fully heat up. If you have a smaller, 2-4 lb ham, aim for around 2 hours of cooking time.

How to Cook Ham in the Instant Pot

Place ham in the Instant Pot. Ham from grocery stores is pre-cooked, so if your ham doesn’t fit, simply cut a portion off and refrigerate it or freeze it for later use.

Open the can of sliced pineapple and drain the juice out into a separate bowl. You will use all of the juice! Measure out your 1/3 cup of brown sugar and add it to the pineapple juice, whisking to dissolve. Add in the 1/2 tsp of ground cloves and whisk to combine.

Arrange the slices of pineapple all over the surface of your ham and in between slices. Place candied cherries inside the pineapple. Pour the pineapple juice mixture on top.

Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure pressure valve is closed. Select Manual high pressure and use the ham portion sizes below to set the appropriate time.

Smaller bone-in hams can be used in an 8-qt Instant Pot. Cook for 14-17 minutes

Crock Pot Ham

Crock Pot Ham is my favorite holiday ham recipe! Just 4 ingredients and can be made in the crockpot or Instant Pot. Brown sugar and pineapple provide a sweet, tangy flavor to the ham. Quick & easy ham recipe that takes just minutes to prepare and yields tender, flavorful and juicy ham.

Ingredients

Instructions

How to Cook your Ham in the Crock Pot

Place ham in the crock pot. Ham from grocery stores is pre-cooked, so if your ham doesn't fit, simply cut a portion off and refrigerate it or freeze it for later use.

Open the can of sliced pineapple and drain the juice out into a separate bowl. You will use all of the juice! Measure out your 1/3 cup of brown sugar and add it to the pineapple juice, whisking to dissolve. Add in the 1/2 tsp of ground cloves and whisk to combine.

Arrange the slices of pineapple all over the surface of your ham and in between slices. Place candied cherries inside the pineapple. Pour the pineapple juice mixture on top.

Replace the lid on the crock pot and cook on LOW for 3-5 hours. I had about 7-lbs of my 10lb ham in the crock pot and I cooked mine for 4 hours. It was super moist and had a lovely sweet flavor. Bone-In hams will take 5-6 hours to fully heat up. If you have a smaller, 2-4 lb ham, aim for 2 hours of cooking time.

How to Cook Ham in the Instant Pot

Place ham in the Instant Pot. Ham from grocery stores is pre-cooked, so if your ham doesn't fit, simply cut a portion off and refrigerate it or freeze it for later use.

Open the can of sliced pineapple and drain the juice out into a separate bowl. You will use all of the juice! Measure out your 1/3 cup of brown sugar and add it to the pineapple juice, whisking to dissolve. Add in the 1/2 tsp of ground cloves and whisk to combine.

Arrange the slices of pineapple all over the surface of your ham and in between slices. Place candied cherries inside the pineapple. Pour the pineapple juice mixture on top.

Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure pressure valve is closed. Select Manual high pressure and use the ham portion sizes below to set the appropriate time.

Smaller bone-in hams can be used in an 8-qt Instant Pot. Cook for 14-17 minutes

Notes

I like to pre-slice my ham so that I can put pineapple in between slices. IT's easier to cut a boneless ham, but use what you like!

Growing up we always cooked ham with whole cloves. However, since ham is already cooked and we're just aiming to heat and infuse flavor, I find that using ground cloves does this better.

Save the juice once you're done cooking the ham and drizzle it over the top, once you place the ham in a serving dish.

Candied cherries are just fun! Plus they make this holiday ham look gorgeous, so I love using them. They're similar to maraschino cherries, but I prefer using Paradise Candied Red Cherries because they're firmer in texture and hold up better once slow cooked.

Crock Pot Ham is my favorite holiday ham recipe! Just 4 ingredients and can be made in the crockpot or Instant Pot. Brown sugar and pineapple provide a sweet, tangy flavor to the ham. Quick & easy slow cooker ham recipe that takes just minutes to prepare and yields tender, flavorful and juicy ham.